Various types of box-type calls have been developed over the years for calling game animals. A box call is relatively easy to use compared with other types of calls, such as mouth diaphragm calls. One type of box call includes a lid pivotally attached on top of a hollowed-out box frame. Friction from the lid striking against an edge of the box frame produces tones intended to simulate natural sounds of game animals, particularly wild turkeys.
To achieve high quality sounds, however, traditional box calls must undergo an extensive, labor-intensive manufacturing process. As most box calls are made entirely of wood, the entire call, including the box frame and the pivoting lid, must be shaped, carved, and formed to produce the precise sounds desired. After the call is roughed out, a fine tuning process must further refine the hollowed-out portion of the box frame and the lid.
Sounds intended to imitate game animals are produced when the lid is pulled across a top surface of a vertical wall of the box frame. The lid must be manufactured so that grains of the wood are properly oriented if high quality sounds are to result. The lid must also be shaped and beveled such that various tone changes will occur as the lid is scraped across the top surface of the vertical wall. The hollowed-out chamber of the box frame conduces, amplifies, and provides resonance to the sounds. Accordingly, each component of the box call must be cut, formed, molded, sanded, and otherwise modified until the desired sounds are achieved. There are always a certain number of box calls that simply do not perform as desired, even after extensive tuning. These calls are simply discarded.
One reason that box calls are difficult, and sometimes impossible, to tune is that a substantial amount of sound-producing material, such as wood, must be fine tuned. Most box calls are made entirely of wood and therefore the side tone board and lid may need to be formed and modified. The weight, density, and grain orientation of the wood are the primary factors in the tone produced by such box calls. The heavier the wood, the lower the tone. Conversely, the lighter the wood, the higher the tone. For a given size of wood, the weight can vary up to 30%. Wood grains will also vary greatly from one piece of wood to another and from one type of wood to another. Extensive hand selection and hand tuning of the wood is commonly required in constructing wooden box calls. In view of the foregoing, wooden box calls are difficult to mass produce. The difficulties with respect to mass production of box calls is directly related to the amount of wood used in building box calls, even with an exacting pattern.
With respect to the lid portion specifically, many labor-intensive manufacturing steps must be performed to produce a proper sounding lid. For example, the following steps have traditionally been required: (1) select an apparently suitable block of wood in terms of grain and density; (2) run the block of wood through a wood molder; (3) cut the molded wood to length; (4) cut out the handle portion; (5) sand and round off corners; (6) drill a hold for pivotal mounting; (7) brand the wood with a logo; and (8) apply a sealer or wood finish to all parts of the lid except where the sound is created.
In addition to the above-mentioned steps, only special types of wood, such as mahogany, are suitable for producing proper sounds. Many of the desired types of woods must be obtained from locations where heavy deforestation is occurring to the demise of the environment. Specialized types of wood are also expensive and add to the overall cost of manufacturing the box calls. Accordingly, anything that can be done to minimize the use of wood in a box call would be beneficial both with respect to manufacturing costs and the environment.
Still another problem with box calls is that the density of a single piece of wood, such as a lid, may vary greatly along its length. It may therefore be necessary to change the weight of the lid at one or more locations along its length to achieve the desired sounds upon striking the lid against the box frame. Traditional box calls have provided no adequate means for varying the weight of a box call lid along its length.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need to develop a box call, and more particularly a lid for a box call, that reduces the overall time required for manufacturing, that reduces the cost of production, that minimizes the amount of sound-producing material, such as specialized wood, required to manufacture the box call, that reduces the number of steps required to manufacture the box call, and that provides a means for varying the weight of the box call lid along its length, to control the tone and pitch of desired sound.